The Earth Trust

The Earth Trust (ET) is committed to regenerating and reviving the Nilgiris ecosystem in the Western Ghats, India. The initiatives taken by the NGO focus on creating sustainable livelihoods by improving organic and natural farming practices, women's health and wellness, and environmental education. ET visions to create a community network of individuals who brings back living water and soil through sustainable practices.

Programs:

FARMING: The programme is rooted in two of the Earth Trust’s Resource Farms and training Centres located in the Nilgiris district. It identifies farmers who wish to adopt organic agricultural practices, guide them on land preparation, planting and crop cycles, and handhold them until their farms achieve commercial viability thereby encouraging them to practice natural farming resulting in increased per-capita income.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: The NGO enables self-reliance in women by supporting both tribal and non-tribal women, who are working as agricultural labourers, tea pluckers, small scale industry workers, and home makers, and get them to become self-reliant through self-help groups. The programme brings together women at their own villages for 3-months, and equip them with self-employment skills through vocations such as tailoring, knitting, gardening, and other home-based activities.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS:  The Earth Trust has designed and implemented 13 modules on community health ranging from personal hygiene to common ailments, herbal remedies to mental health to fight against malnutrition, increased occurrence of sickle-cell anaemia among indigenous communities resulting in immediate need for optimal health and local nutrition interventions.

ECO-CLUB PROGRAMME: The NGO has setup eco-clubs in schools imparting life-skill and knowledge on organic agriculture to the students, inculcating the importance of environmental hygiene, organic food and health, and nurture children as agents of change. Children gain practical farming knowledge, and become aware about the need for better nutrition and food security in their community through food gardens.

ET has been working for the upliftment of Chengal Pudur, a small kurumba hamlet. It has been instrumental in bringing about many facilities like electricity and running water, sanitation, provided them with smokeless stoves, livestock, medicine plant nursery and solar panels.